Love and the Wild
by Colleen Alize
Summary: She wasn't your typical girl, and he wasn't your typical guy. She found him, or did he find her? They found each other? What happens when you're in another continent with a Gorilla-man? You find love in the wild, of course! Twilight-Tarzan mashup! If you're expecting the Disney classic, this isn't it! #Tarzanward
1. Chapter 1

**_*taps mic* Is this thing on? Yea? So, um...Hiya! :) _**

**_So this #Tarzanward thing started as a joke with my RL bestie Packy & she loved it & wanted more, so here it is!_**

**_Happy Birthday Packy! *kisses*  
><em>**

**_I do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. _**

**_xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox_**

_Oh, gosh...bugs! _

At the mention of another voyage, one might think about the research required, or the equipment necessary, or even the finances. But all she could think about was the bugs. Lots of them!

That was Bella. As much as she'd traveled with her father, Professor Charlie Swan, on these expeditions, getting used to the insects was something Bella never seemed to master.

She could convince herself that sleeping on the bare dirt floor was as comfortable as the softest bed, piled high with only the finest silk sheets. When their group had been stranded on a remote island the previous year, even green seaweed and kelp soups had become delicacies. Being able to take a regular, frequent shower was a luxury that was seldom afforded to her on these trips. She would go days, sometimes weeks without being able to indulge in a proper bath, and she did it without complaint.

But the bugs?...with their antennae and multiple legs and wings? They had given her the shivers ever since she was a little girl, so of course that was the first place Bella's thoughts had wandered to when her father had announced the news of another voyage. This time, his interest had been piqued by the Beatus Apus—Beach Gorillas—of the Amazon Rain Forest. At the beginning of spring, the gorillas migrated closer to the beaches of the East Coast to mate, and this was what their team intended to document.

Bella's thoughts suddenly drifted away. If only she would find some handsome man—one who would chase the bugs away. In her daydream, the two of them would couple on the beach, surrounded by sea, sand and the most gorgeous flora, as the gorillas do.

_If only_…

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

_God, this wine is good!_

Bella had already drunk through half the bottle by this point, which was a feat in itself considering she was a beer kind of girl. There was nothing ladylike about the gulps she swallowed, or the thoughts that soon followed.

_This has to be the reason they serve the stuff at church_, she thought with a smirk. _Even Jesus has to approve of something this good_.

Bella laughed at her inner monologue and lifted the glass to her lips again. She needed to tell that joke to someone, over wine perhaps...but then that thought stopped short when she remembered her pitiful social life.

She scanned her memory for a friend or acquaintance she could possibly call...

Rose! That's right, Rose—her co-worker from her part-time job at the coffee shop. What ever happened to Rose? _Oh wait, wasn't I supposed to get back to Rose with an R.S.V.P for her wedding… two years ago?_

She needed to send Rose an 'I'm sorry I missed your wedding because I was in the Malaysian rainforest identifying different species of beetles' gift. Too bad Hallmark didn't make a card for that.

Groaning, Bella took another sip of wine and continued to rack her brain for friends.

Alice, her old roommate in college! They were great friends. However, becoming a famous fashion designer and an ethologist hadn't exactly been in their plans that first year of school. As the friendship had grown, they'd begun to blossom individually as well, finding themselves and following their respective career paths.

They'd made a promise that one day when Bella accepted her Nobel Prize, she'd be styled in an Alice original. Bella smiled at the memory. But the distance after graduation had put quite a strain on the friendship.

Fast-forward four years later: as Alice styled the rich and famous, Bella journeyed the globe researching animal behavior. Not really the most accommodating situation to meet up and converse over wine, was it?

Continuing to dissect her memory, a very handsome face flashed before her eyes.

Jake—the guy in the apartment next door. He had hit on her a while back when he'd first moved into the building. Surely she could slip over there, offer him some wine and… what? Watch late night TV with him, his girlfriend and their one year old daughter? Oh, that's right...he had stopped hitting on her and moved on, after her second trip to Africa.

_Has it been three years already?_

This wasn't working. What the hell had happened to her?

Or what the hell _hadn't_ happened to her?

The past five years had been filled with two one night stands with her old college boyfriend, an extremely embarrassing date with her father's intern—that she did _not_ want to think about—and approximately nine months out of the year exploring various parts of the world that most people didn't even know existed.

And nothing more.

And now, not a single person to share a stupid joke with!

Bella massaged her temples with her fingers attempting to relieve some of the tension there. All this heavy thinking was giving her a headache. Or maybe it was the wine? Either way, she refocused on the task at hand—packing for the trip to the Amazon in two days.

Bella had hoped maybe cracking a bottle of wine and putting on some good music would make the tedious chore of packing a little more pleasant, and sure enough, within the hour, she was all packed up and ready to go as ever.

With a frown firmly in place, Bella glanced around the room and ended with her gaze on her travel bag.

_Is that it?_

Her entire life literally fit into an oversized camping bag. She looked around the dimly lit apartment, hoping she missed something of importance.

Nothing. Her apartment was bare as it was.

She didn't own a TV since she was barely ever home. There were no pictures she wanted to take, no pet to leave with a friend or relative. Just a couch, a mini-refrigerator and a twin-sized bed. At the age of twenty-six, was this all her life had amounted to?

She'd traveled and experienced enough to have stories to last a lifetime. Yet still, she had no one to tell them to. No one in her life to share her adventures and exotic escapades with.

_Well. This truly sucks!_

Just then her cellphone lit up from its place on the couch beside her, and the illuminated picture on the screen brought a smile to her face—a seven year old Bella on her father's shoulders, covered in mud and leaves on their annual camping trip. That was one of the first moments she could ever remember knowing that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

There was no denying that her job made her incredibly happy. Her chosen field of ethology consisted of observing animal behavior, particularly patterns of behavior that occur in natural environments, whereas her father's passion lay in identifying species of wild plants and flowers. As a child, she'd accompanied her father on his smaller journeys, and he'd taught her to be at one with the wilderness and bond with nature. Her preference would always be for time alone with the animals and the gorgeous greenery.

With that thought, she guzzled the remainder of her wine, chucked the bug spray and repellent into her bag, and went to prepare for bed.

Friends and relationships would have to wait until she came back. And she'd actually make an effort this time.

She was so, so tired of being lonely.

xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxox

**eeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppppp! I'm hoping you guys will stick around for the journey! Not sure what my posting schedule will be like but i'll try my best to not have you all waiting too long!**

**Huge, big hugs to my pre-reader Twilly & my beta Cullenboyz (aka my baby momma lol). I could NOT have done this without you both!**

**Reviews will be appreciated! & if you got time, wish Packy happy birthday! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**What is this? A second update already? Hell yeah! The response to the first chapter & the story in general blew me away! Thank you all so much for that! **

**Just letting everyone know that I'm taking some creative liberty with this fic. Some things will not be accurately represented but were necessary for the sake of entertainment. So please don't crucify me. It's fiction, so let's treat it as such, yeah?**

**I hope you all wished Packy a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! **

**No, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. However I do own a mosquito zapper & a bottle of rum! :) **

**See ya at the bottom loves!**

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><p>Bella looked up to the sky, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.<p>

"I've never understood your obsession with wet dirt," her father remarked. "Then again, I've never really understood you, period." He chuckled as he walked past her, arms filled with camping supplies. They'd just gotten off the little boat that had taken them from the mainland to the rainforest, and were busy at work offloading its contents. There was a light drizzle, just enough to moisten the ground, but not heavy enough that they needed to run for shelter.

"I've always loved the smell of wet dirt," Bella murmured. "So earthy and raw. You can discover an entire history, just by its smell. " She inhaled through her nose again and grinned. "Sea salt, dead flowers and gorillas."

And she was right. The shore was only a few hundred feet away. The Gorillas were nearby too, hidden in the dense trees surrounding the beach. She and her father would set up camp a safe distance away and trek to the shore for observation in the morning.

Professor Swan's associate, Aro, passed Bella a sleeping bag. "You're not a typical girl, are you?" he observed. Her father had insisted Aro accompany them on this excursion, claiming he wasn't as young as he used to be and needed the extra help.

Aro might have been an easy distraction for Bella, had it not been for his extremely greasy shoulder-length hair and arrogant demeanor. But his creepy, lingering stares were what bothered her the most. She made a mental note to definitely keep an eye out for him.

The associate continued his unwelcome observations. "Most women your age come to Brazil for Carnival or to sightsee. You're here to watch monkeys mate." His distaste was evident in his words, but there was still a flicker of desire swimming in his eyes as he emphasized the last word.

Bella stood ramrod straight, shoulders squared, and looked Aro dead in the eyes. She had to let him know he didn't intimidate her one bit, nor was she attracted to him in any way. No, she wasn't like other women, and his advances were unwelcome.

"First of all," she began, her voice scathing, "gorillas are apes, not monkeys. If you don't know that, then you shouldn't be here to begin with. Second, you are here to help my father with his bromeliad plant research, so leave the gorilla mating to me, okay? And third," she eyed him with scorn, "I'm sure you thought I'd be so thrilled by your attention that I'd bat my eyelashes and crawl into your sleeping bag with you, but I'd rather be elbow deep in gorilla shit, sifting out exactly what they had for dinner, any day."

With a triumphant smirk, Bella left a horrified Aro and strode over to the campsite to begin setting up her tent.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

This was a bad idea.

From a photographer's perspective, Charlie Swan had to admit that their position afforded an amazingly picturesque view of the rainforest. A photographer's task would be complete in a day or two. But their task was observation and note-taking, and that would take weeks. Spending weeks this close to the apes' mating grounds at the peak of mating season? That could be suicide.

The area was littered with signs that cautioned beachgoers to stay a respectable distance away from this particular area, but apparently, the signs didn't apply to Bella.

Professor Swan shook with nerves as they got farther and farther away from the beach and edged closer to the denser part of the forest.

Charlie had done some risky things in the past for the sake of research: careening along in their Jeep at 50 km/h in an attempt to escape a flock of angry ostriches (trying to steal a few feathers had been a bad idea); perching high in a tree to photograph a squirrel who just wouldn't stay still (the river had broken his fall, but he'd ended up covered in leeches); trying to collect a venomous snake's molted skin (thank God they'd been given a vaccine just weeks before). Though these were all unforgettably terrifying experiences, he'd done them all for his daughter, grateful that their line of work enabled them to travel together. And despite researching completely different aspects of the environment, Charlie couldn't deny any request his baby girl made of him, no matter how unwise.

But this time they were on their own, with no safari personnel, medics or natives to explain the dangers of the region, and he was more than a little worried...Charlie was fucking petrified!

He trailed along at the rear of the party, gazing up at the trees that always fascinated him but couldn't distract him from his nerves, while Aro and Bella forged ahead, apparently not the least bit intimidated by the unfamiliar and potentially dangerous surroundings.

Charlie needed to get a grip.

The two ahead of him were basically novices, considering Bella had only been on academic research trips for five years and Aro hadn't been in the field that long himself. Charlie had spent more years doing this kind of thing than either of them had been alive! This trek through the wilderness should be nothing after his almost 30 years' experience in the field.

And more importantly, his daughter might need him. That thought was enough to clear his head and spur him along until he was walking beside Bella, matching her strides.

Charlie was almost certain that their trip would somehow end with him on the back of a gorilla, trying to fulfill some ridiculous request. There was nothing else as dangerous, so he knew that would be his fate.

Just then, as if she knew he needed reassurance, Bella draped her arm over her father's shoulders, giving him a light squeeze and a warm smile. And that was all he needed. He only hoped the gorillas were ready for a fight!

At last, Bella had found the perfect spot nestled in the mangrove, where she wouldn't disturb the gorillas. And with notepads and binoculars in hand, they waited.

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><p><strong>Soooo, how are y'all feeling so far? What do you think of Aro? Wasn't Charlie just the cutest thing?! I picture him just as goofy with the short trousers and glasses like Jane's dad in the animated film! LOL :)<strong>

**Again, special thanks to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz! **

**BTW, if y'all aren't reading their stuff, you definitely should be! Go check out Twilly's****_ 'The Love Boat'_**** and Cullenboyz' ****_'Angelus Ardens'_****. **

**Leave me love in the review section or just say hi if you want to! See ya next time (where our boy might just make an appearance) ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bonjour tout le monde! **

**First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to the ladies of ficsisters for featuring my little Tarzanward as the 'One fresh face' of the week over there. And Welcome to all the new readers! :) (btw, did you guys see the banner? HOT!)**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but on the bright side someone you've been dying to meet is sharing his story! :D I'll stop rambling and let y'all get to it, yeah?**

**Nope, I'm still not the owner of Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do, however, have two papers that I need to hand in this week. welp!**

**See ya at the bottom!**

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><p>The flowers were beginning to bloom.<p>

Spring.

Edd hated spring.

This was the loneliest time of year for him. More lonely than he usually was.

Most had already deemed him the outcast. 'Different,' they called him.

And it was nothing but the truth. He was different.

His hands, though big, weren't as massive as theirs. His limbs, though he moved stealthily, still couldn't climb and run as they could. His coat? Theirs covered their bodies in thick coats of black and brown fur that kept them warm during the harsh nights. His was more of a smooth, thin film of tan colored flesh. Not to mention the fact that their massive bodies were easily triple the size of his.

He was different. And this difference only made the spring time hurt more.

At this time of year his troop migrated closer to the shores where they coupled and mated. Edd had yet to pair with a female and had convinced himself that his unappealing physical appearance was to blame.

Maybe if he were a bit bigger, or hairier! That was it! The females loved a hairy coat.

Or maybe if he were younger. Usually by the thirteenth year of life male gorillas were developed enough to mate with the females, and he'd surpassed that age almost twice over.

He couldn't count the number of times he'd waited to be approached by a female, or the disappointment that usually followed when nothing happened. He'd given up entirely a few years later and skipped the choosing ceremony altogether - which brought him to his current position: sitting atop a small hill, losing himself in his thoughts.

Edd heard him approaching well before he was able to see him, and was prepared for the attack. Emm pounced from behind, and they both began to tumble downhill, laughing and roughhousing as they went.

Emm knew this time of year made his best friend sad. And unlike previous years, when both of them had endured the spring without a mate, he had finally bonded with a female.

Emm would need to leave for the beach with the others soon, so he'd decided to have as much fun with Edd as possible, in an attempt to cheer up his friend before he left.

Edd had appreciated Emm's efforts, but as soon as the play-fighting ended, he had reverted to his sullen state. Nothing would numb the ache he felt in his chest.

If only he were like the others, he could find someone willing and suited to pair with him.

Or maybe, instead of being like the others, he could find someone who was like him.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Why were humans so loud?

They'd come every year to bathe in the crystal clear waters, take pictures of the greenery, and then just leave.

Edd was almost sure that if he had to endure another spring of their incessant screaming, laughing and invading his space, he just might combust!

Yes, they mostly managed to steer clear of the gorillas' territory and made use of the designated area within the safety range, but their shouts and wails could be heard from far distances all throughout the forest.

Their joys seemed to come from the simplest of things in life—splashing in the water, lounging on the sand.

They didn't even have a clue about the hidden spots that the gorillas frequented. Like the river that led from the mountains was more peaceful than the ocean itself. Speaking of the mountain, getting up there not only gave the most panoramic view of the surroundings, but the wildlife here as well.

Any sudden movement would trigger a flurry of wings in different directions from all different species. And oh…the colours! More beautiful than anyone could possibly imagine.

But they didn't care about that. Even if they did, they had no knowledge of the forest like Edd did.

Not a single human had dared to go past a certain point before.

No one…except for her.

Tiny little thing, she was. Climbing the trunk of a kapok tree. Well, she was trying to for the most part. The tree was so big she couldn't even get her arms around.

What was she doing though? No one ever came this far. And the tree. Why was she trying to climb it?

Just another thing to add to the list: humans were loud _AND _weird.

Better to remain hidden amongst the shadows and sulk. And Edd had a lot to sulk about.

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><p><strong>Sooooo, what are you guys thinking so far? We met 'Edd' and he's obviously been having a tough time. And who the hell has he been watching? hmmmmm...<strong>

**Thank you soooo freakin' much to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz for turning my Trini-dialect into understandable English lol  
><strong>

**Is anyone else as depressed as I am knowing that PlanetBlue's _'Artful Maneuvers'_ and Cris' '_Wisp'_ are now complete? sigh**

**Leave me some love in the review section or just come say hi if you want. **

**And if it's not too much trouble, comment and tell me where in the world you are. I love knowing that my words are reaching all over. I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and we're the last island at the end of the Caribbean chain. And to the guest reviewers, I can't answer your questions if you're not signed in :( **

**See you guys next time! :D :D**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello my lovelies! The response to the last chapter was insaneeee! Y'all broke my computer! Lolol**_

_**Thank you SO MUCH to the lemonade stand for featuring this little ditty over there this week! I legit screamed so hard! And welcome to all the new readers! **_

_**Now, I hate having to repeat this since I already addressed it in the first chapter, but I am taking some HUGE creative liberties here. Yes, we all know there aren't Gorillas in the Amazon, but c'mon, we all sat through 5 movies about vampires who sparkle in the sun and LOVED IT! I don't think putting Gorillas in the Amazon is that farfetched LOL. It's FICTION; let's treat it as such please. **_

_**Now that we have that all cleared up, let's get on with it shall we?**_

_**Nope, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do, however, have a house full of relatives this weekend for my nephew's 6th birthday party! :D woot woot! **_

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><p>Five days.<p>

That's how long it's been. Five frickin' days!

Five gorilla-less frickin' days!

Five gorilla-less frickin' days filled with mosquitoes the size of roaches, ants that got into everything, and all other creepy crawly things that apparently were immune to Bella's insect repellant.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of listening to her father constantly complaining about how dangerous all of this was.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of Aro not-so-subtly hitting on her, and her kicking him in the junk when he tried to cop a feel.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of thinking how stupid she was for coming here.

The days flew by with nothing more than trekking to the mangroves at dawn, sitting around or exploring the nearby surroundings, then heading back to the campsite at late hours. She knew these things took time, but Bella couldn't help but feel like a failure.

Just then her stomach made an obscene noise, but eating was the last thing on Bella's mind, especially if she had to eat more of that bland food. She'd never complained before, but with the lack of excitement, she was just over everything.

"I'm gonna go take a walk, stretch my legs some. Maybe see if I spot some fruit or something, okay?" She got up, brushed the moss off her cargo shorts and started walking without waiting for a reply from her father or Aro.

She was in the most unpleasant mood and needed to be away from people for a while.

Of course she needed to be away from people—that was the purpose of coming here: to see gorillas!

With a roll of her eyes, Bella continued walking.

She'd painted red markings on the tree trunks that led to the mangrove forest, so they'd be able to find their way back. The pathway she was on led to the same huge tree she'd been trying to climb a few days ago. She had insisted on making it up the tree as a 'kiss my ass' to her childhood friend Elizabeth, who'd always teased her about her small size being her weakness—which had led to Bella doing all sorts of daring things.

But maybe Liz was right just this one time.

Instead of stopping and attempting to climb higher than she had the day prior, Bella continued walking past the tree and further away from those with the red markings.

Looking further along the path, Bella noticed the sun beaming down upon a little meadow full of flowers. There were many branches overhead, hanging low over the flowered area with vines and green and yellow leaves, almost as if a leafy chandelier decorated the meadow. Bella smiled at its beauty; it was exactly what she needed to mellow out her mood. But then she snorted at herself. Who else could be in the middle of the forest, dirty, hungry and exhausted, but find happiness in mere flowers and sunlight?

Bella, that's who.

Had a man tried to give her flowers, she would have probably laughed in his face—too cheesy for her brand of sweet.

She bent over, picking a few of the flowers and inhaling their scent. Orchids maybe? But this was different. She'd never smelled anything this light, yet so powerful.

She'd have to check the book back at the camp site to identify the species; her father would love them. She needed to remember the path so she could show him this mini paradise.

Lying on her back in the flowers, her anger and disappointment began to fade away. The sun on her face, a cool breeze through the trees and the lovely scent of the flowers were enough to put her at peace.

Bella was so caught up in the beauty of the scenery that she almost missed the rustling of the leaves and the sliver of skin ahead.

Sitting up, she examined her surroundings. That had not been her imagination.

Maybe it was an animal? If it was, lying out there alone definitely wasn't safe.

She started getting to her feet, and with eyes wide she searched the flowery meadow.

The movement happened again. Right there. Behind that tree. She could hear the crumbling of leaves beneath feet.

Wait, was that an actual person?

Hadn't they been told that there were no tour guides or security this far into the forest? Maybe someone had gotten lost from their hiking group?

"Excuse me!" Bella shouted, arms waving in the air. She jogged up the incline toward the tree where the person seemed to be.

_Wow, I really need to work out more. _Out of breath and probably just a few feet away now, she called out again.

"Hey! Over here! Are you lost?"

The rustling of leaves stopped as the figure froze. He (for he seemed to be male) didn't turn or look at her, but stood in place, unmoving.

Did he think by not moving he would somehow blend into the background?

_People are so weird_, she thought.

"Excuse me. Hi. I'm Bella." Deep breath. "I just saw you out here alone and thought maybe you got lost or something." Deep breath again. Yep, she definitely needed to start running more often.

The man didn't answer. He stood frozen, his body turned off to the side, not looking at her. Was something wrong with him? Was he hurt?

When he finally turned his head and looked in her direction, nothing could have prepared her for the moment green eyes landed on her face. What was it about them? Was it the sun? Because having eyes that shone so brightly couldn't have been possible.

Then like a shock wave, it hit her.

His clothing (or lack thereof), tattered and dirty, his matted hair, awkward stance and muddied skin. He definitely wasn't lost; he seemed far too much in his element. Had he been out here for some time? Did he live out here? And why in the hell was he still not saying anything?! The silence was driving her crazy.

Bella didn't dare think that this…_man_...could be scared of her. If he was, why hadn't he tried to run away when she'd first called out to him?

Bella leaned in closer to him at the same time his body turned toward hers, both of them holding the gaze of the other.

Truth be told, Edd didn't know why he hadn't run, either.

He usually hid from the tourists, and never once had he come into contact with one: in fact it was forbidden. But this…this person...she was different. While all the others steered clear of the gorillas, it seemed as if she was intrigued by them. Always probing around looking for them…looking for him, maybe?

Edd knew he had no right to entertain that thought, but deep down he'd wanted her to see him. He'd known there were similarities between the humans and him; he'd just never been close enough to one to explore it before now. Curiosity got the best of him, and he needed to see for himself. To know that, although he was different than his real family, he wasn't alone in that difference. There were others out there like him.

What should he do now? He'd already exposed himself to her. He decided that he needed to do or say something quickly, before she left and he missed his opportunity.

He'd heard some words from the humans who came ever so often, but would she understand? His ability to speak human wasn't his strongest suit, but he very much doubted she understood gorilla.

Slowly he began to relax and uttered a simple greeting. "Olá!"

Was that enough? Would she understand? He certainly didn't. Mimicking the humans was easy. Understanding them, however, had proven to be a lot harder. "Tão bom hoje da água?" He tried again.

His ability to speak rendered Bella speechless, and that only very rarely happened. She stared at him with huge eyes and her mouth forming an 'o'.

He'd spoken to her!

But what was that language? Spanish? No, had to have been Portuguese! He had probably picked it up from the natives. Bella learned a few languages herself during her travels, and thankfully she retained quite a bit of Portuguese from her trip to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. Maybe she could communicate with him.

"Olá! Meu nome é Bella . Qual o seu nome?" _(Hello! My name is Bella. What's your name?)_

Silence.

Silence and a deep frown was all she got in return. Hadn't he just spoken Portuguese to her? How could he not understand? What had he said earlier? "Hello. The water's so nice today." Now that she thought about it that made absolutely no sense.

Bella was so confused. She began to think that maybe simple, childlike communication would get through to him. It was the only other solution she could think of. Pointing to her chest, she introduced herself in the slowest of speech. "I'm Bella. Do you understand? Bel-la". She repeated her name, breaking up the syllables.

She then pointed to his chest. He flinched minutely the moment her cool skin pressed against the heat of his and then quickly composed himself, not wanting to scare her off. He found himself wanting her to accept him more than anything.

Bella waited in anticipation. Would he understand? She prayed he would and repeated the gesture again by saying her name and pointing to herself. This time when she placed her hand on his chest, he replied. All deep and masculine voiced...he uttered two single sounds. "Eh-d."

He understood! He told her his name. Eh-d?

Bella wasn't sure whether she'd heard that correctly. It sounded like 'Ed' to her, but then again he could just be grunting.

"Ed? Your name is Ed? Is that short for something? Like Edgar, or Edmund, or Edward?"

Like her previous questions, this too was met with only silence.

With an annoyed huff, Bella spoke again. "I don't like the names Edgar or Edmund. They remind me of my mean old neighbor." She folder her arms and tilted her head to the side inspecting his face more closely now. "You do kind of look like an 'Edward'. I guess that will have to do for now."

Edward.

_Where did you come from, Edward? _She wanted to ask him, but he'd barely gotten his name out. She doubted he'd be able to give his life story. There was so much she found herself wanting to know. How long had he been there? Were there others like him? How did he survive in the Amazon? Even though those were questions for which she desperately wanted answers, there was something else, something far more important that she needed to decide.

Now that she had found this man in the wild, what was she going to do about him?

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><p><em>Olá! - Hello!<em>

_Tão bom hoje da água. - The water's so nice today_

_Olá! Meu nome é Bella . Qual o seu nome? - Hello! My name is Bella. What's your name?_

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><p><em><strong>I feel so frickin good about this chapter! :D I was so excited for you guys to read it!<strong>_

_**Sooooo, what are your thoughts? Tell me everything! I want your flails and all!**_

_**Big smooches to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz! **_

_**Also, Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I'll wait until Christmas to eat my weight in food. It's 12days of non-stop family, food, alcohol, parang (type of music) 'going from house to house' in Trinidad :) /**_

_**What am I currently reading? 'The Other One' by JiffyKate and 'My Nightingale' by Edward's Eternal. Loving BOTH so far!**_

_**Leave me some love in the form of reviews or just come say hi! :) I love interacting with you guys and hearing your thoughts. **_

_**Until we meet again, don't forget life is so much sexier when you do the legally blonde 'bend and**__** snap'! :D **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello my lovelies! I know it's been way too long and I apologize for that. Things were hectic for a while back there, but we're on track now!**_

_**Oh yeah, HAPPAY NU YARRRR! I hope the new year is filled with love, happiness and all that other stuff people are supposed to tell you in this kinda situation :) **_

_**For those of you are still with us, things are about to get interesting *rubs hands together*.**_

_**Quick recap: Bella, Charlie and Aro are in the amazon rain forest to document the behavior of gorillas during the spring mating season. Edd, who lives in the forest, was found by Bella (or did he find her? hmmmm). He doesn't understand when she speaks to him and is acting strangely. From his perspective, Bella is another 'human' who comes through the forest on occasion and then leaves. But she interests him more than the others have. Does he identify himself as a human? No. Does he notice the similarities? Maybe. Let's keep reading to find out what's going on, huh? **_

_**No, I STILL do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. What I do own are tickets to a fete (party) for next weekend! It's Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago guys! woot! Meet me at the bottom?**_

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Somehow - not even Bella could truly grasp how - but she had convinced Edward to go with her. She'd rambled on about things like safety and shelter that flew directly over Edward's head, but when she beckoned him with her hands while slowly backing away and making a low whistling sound, he cautiously advanced toward her. Following closely behind, Edward trailed along as Bella led him back to the mangroves where her father was. Surely he'd know what to do since she didn't.

Every few steps, Bella glanced behind her to ensure he was still following. He was definitely still there, but what surprised, or rather shocked her more than anything else was that the man was on all fours; crouched over, bracing his weight on this knuckles and the balls of his feet, meandering through the trees like an animal. No, like a gorilla.

_Oh shit!_ She needed to get to her father. Quickly!

Suddenly, Edward stopped dead in his tracks. Eyes wild and searching, his hearing attuned to the familiar sounds around him.

The mangrove! _They should not be there. This was no place for someone like Bel-la,_ Edward thought.

Professor Swan and Aro were now in sight and Bella quickened her steps to get to them.

Edward had barely made it away from this very mangrove unscathed a time or two before, and more people increased the likelihood that they wouldn't all make it out in time. Someone was bound to get hurt because a mother is usually territorial, but a mother black caiman? She definitely would not fancy seeing any humans near her eggs; and that's the area Bella and her crew currently occupied. Though she'd be properly fed from recent hunting, the caiman would see no issue in trying to protect her young.

Edward could sense her sneaky approach. The slow crumbling of leaves beneath her four legs, the low growl in the back of her throat. She sensed a threat and was prepared for attack. He needed to warn Bel-la. But how?

There was nearly no time to attempt to bridge the communication gap with silly hand flails and meaningless Portuguese phrases. This was life and death, and he needed Bel-la alive. He had just found her. He needed her to stay here, with him. But what could he do?

Edward had followed them in the evenings back to where they'd set up camp a few times. The need to make sure that they weren't there to cause any harm was important, but he mostly needed the distraction it brought from all the couplings going on around him that he wasn't a part of.

He'd formulated a plan of action in mere seconds: get Bella and her group to run as fast as possible back to their camp with him leading them away.

With wild arm gestures and deep oohs and ahhs, he captured Bella's attention and the attention of the Professor and Aro a few feet away. He began backing away but stopped when he realized they weren't following him.

_This isn't working. And the caiman's getting closer._

Bursting into action, Edward ran, still on all fours towards Bella. He slung her over his shoulder - which elicited a loud shrill on her part - then signaled for the other two to follow him.

Hopefully if they thought he was taking her away, they would chase him. And chase they did. The other two sprang into defensive mode rather quickly, running away from the Black caiman's nest in the mangroves, following him all the way back to their camp, Edward never stopping until he got there.

Bella kicked, screamed and struggled until the gorilla-man released her from his grip and she found herself lying on her back in the dirt.

"Are you crazy? What the hell is wrong with you?!" she screeched at him while trying to get back on her feet.

Bella's shoulders rose and fell with the harsh, deep breaths she took as she stood red faced, fuming at the wild man before her. Oh, he was gonna get an earful regardless if he understood or not.

"You do _not_ just pick people up and run off with them!" Edward was standing at his full height when Bella had began pointing her index finger at his chest as she took one step toward him. "How dare you…" Her sentence trailed off and her ire quickly dissipated with one look at him.

That look was back. The look Edward wore when Bella had just found him. He was scared and confused.

There was barely any time to process what was happening because of the high pitched screams coming in their direction. Turning towards the sound, Bella saw Aro first and then her father jogging breathlessly in the distance behind him. Both men were damp with sweat and her father screaming louder than she possibly could.

Aro's eyes were ablaze with anger, but her father, however, wore a look of pure terror.

"Oh heavens! There was a croc! A black caiman! I didn't know they laid eggs on this part of the forest. I turned around to pick up our stuff and there she was, in the bushes." Charlie collapsed on the very spot in the dirt Bella occupied only seconds before. "Bella, dear, get me some water and my inhaler before I pass out. And a new pair of shorts. I think this pair is fairly ruined!"

"Caiman or not, who the hell is he and why the hell did he try to kidnap you? He literally just took off and we had to be sure you were safe!" Aro instantly got in Edward's face to challenge him. "I'd like to see you try that stunt again." Already up close, Aro gave Edward a slight push to the chest causing him to take a step backward.

"No, Aro. Don't. I think he was trying to help. You just heard there was a caiman lurking in the mangroves. He probably saved our lives." Bella explained.

"Croc or not, when some strange man grabs my things and runs, I run after him." Aro said, still glaring at Edward as he pushed him again, with more force this time.

Edward stumbled back a few feet but instantly regained his footing and rushed toward Aro with full force, ramming into him with his shoulder.

There was a bit of a scuffle on the ground and when Bella whistled through her fingers and they both paused to look up at her, it was clear that Aro was getting his ass kicked. Edward had Aro's body pinned under his with Aro's head locked under his arm. He'd already began struggling for air.

"Stop! Let him go Edward." Bella shouted and he instantly released Aro. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Aro, though unneeded, but I am not your _thing_. I am not your property, your lover - I'm not even your friend. Let. It. Go!"

"Sweetheart, calm down. At least I fulfilled my crazy mission for this trip, right? I've never ran away from a black caiman before while on an assignment." Professor shrugged while wearing the sweetest of smiles.

And he was right. They were all safe, despite Bella's annoyance toward Aro at the moment. But none of this helped her figure out her next move with the man who was crouched over, staring wildly at the three people before him.

"I almost forgot the reason I was looking for you in the first place, Daddy. Edward here, I found him. Out there in the forest by himself."

Bella approached Edward cautiously and introduced her father and Aro in the same simplistic manner she'd introduced herself while he only looked on with cautious eyes.

"Edward? He seems rather...primitive for such a formal name, no?" Aro inquired with an eyebrow arched and a disgusted look on his face.

"His name is Edd, Aro. He told me so when I found him in the meadow. Which by the way you need to see, Daddy. It's filled with gorgeous wildflowers for you to add to your collection. But yes, his grunt sounded like Edd, and I thought he needed a real name. So I named him Edward. He's not like us, I think. He doesn't understand verbal language or social cues, he hobbles around instead of walking, and he's really attuned to the forest. He sort of just, found me out there. I didn't know what to do with him so I brought him back here. I think we can maybe help him somehow."

"Bella, he's not some stray puppy you can just rename and play dress up pretending he's a fully functional person. What if he really is all those things you said? He could be dangerous. I think we should call the authorities on this one. It's not in our line of expertise," Professor Swan, always the voice of reason, commented. But turning him in was not an option for Bella. She needed to figure Edward out herself. Who knew what they'd do to him if they got the authorities involved.

"No way! He'll be a walking science experiment before we even get off the boat! They'll stick and probe and have him in a giant glass case like at the zoo. I won't do that to Edward. Let me figure it out, okay?" Bella was now standing face to face with him trying to read his body language. She knew that human and animal behaviors were somewhat similar, but seeing a human with animal mannerisms was totally unnatural. His eyes seemed to follow every distinct sound he heard as if trying to identify them, while he stood completely still.

Bella could learn a lot from him, but she felt like he could learn a lot from her as well.

Edward had been silent and observing since Bella broke up the fight. He couldn't comprehend what they were all arguing about, but he knew anger when he saw it. The heightened voices, arms in the air and tense facial expressions were an easy give away. Not to mention the negative energy. That, however, only radiated from the tall man who kept looking in his direction with squinted eyes.

The discomfort he felt under Aro's gaze was gone when directly before him were pools of brown so deep he could swim in them. It barely registered that he'd breathed the only other word since leaving the mangrove. "Bel-la..."

With a shy smile, Bella leaned in closer from her stooping position. Close enough to place both her hands on his arms. "Yeah, I'm Bel-la. And you're Ed-ward."

Edward nodded at the new name he'd acquired and Bella felt like they'd accomplished their very first milestone.**  
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><p><em><strong>Soooooo...thoughts? I want to hear what you guys think so far. <strong>_

_**Was anybody shouting 'yeahhhh!' when Edward had Aro in a headlock? *raises hand* What do ya think is the deal with Edward though? Did Bella ever get Charlie a clean pair of pants? SMH lol. And I personally love a feisty Bella. I cant wait for Edward to really start showing himself ;) **_

_**As always, huge thank you's to my prereaders Twilly, and Packeh. Also to my beta Cullenboyz. I seriously owe this woman my first born child. *hugs***_

_**I love when authors rec fics for me, so i'm doing to same for yall. Current WIPs: 'She Gave Me Words, I Gave My Heart' by MyOnlyHeroin, and her collab with LyricalKris named 'Long Distance'. I shamelessly beg for updates ALL THE TIME! lol They are both sooooo good and well written. Go check them out & tell them Colleen sent ya! lol**_

_**Leave me some love in the reviews or just come say hi! **_

_**See yall next time! Have a drink for the new year resolution you already broke, ok? :D *sip***_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my darlings! I know, I knowwww! I'm sorrehhhh! Just know that I will NEVER flounce this fic. I have ALOT prewritten, it's just taking time to edit & post around RL crap. **

**To make up for it, I have a LONG one for ya. Excited about this one ;) Meet me at the bottom? **

**No, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I'd really like to own Channing Tatum though! **

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After attempting to introduce Aro and Charlie to Edward and having difficulty communicating what 'father' was, or what they were doing out there in the amazon, Bella thought it was time to work on Edward's vocabulary. The only words he had spoken on his own were his name, _Edd_, that random Portuguese phrase about the water being nice, and her name, which he'd repeated when prompted. Other than that, he was quiet and observing, leading Bella to assume that he had no formal language skills.

Maybe with some form of communication, she'd be able to make a decision on what she was going to do about him or what he needed. Or that's what she'd try to convince herself into believing.

Charlie interrupted Bella's thoughts. "So let's say, hypothetically speaking here, that he does acquire some language skills. Then what? We throw him back out here in the Amazon? Remember, we only have a few months on this project Bella, and there are goals and deadlines to meet," Charlie fretted. "I suppose Aro can always assist you if need be, but then how will your research be completed if you're busy teaching Edward?"

Bella rolled her eyes at her father's rationale. _Why does he always have to be logical about everything?_

She knew Charlie's questions were valid, and she definitely didn't have answers at the moment, but that fact did nothing to deter her from her goal.

"I know this sounds crazy, and I'm not saying that I'm dropping my research assignment. I've worked too hard getting funding and approval to just give that up. But I can't turn a blind eye and just leave Edward here without trying _something_. Anything. Can we help him? We don't know that for certain. But I gotta try, Daddy. I can't turn a blind eye to someone in obvious need." Bella realised she'd grasped her father's attention and decided to continue.

"And maybe if we get him talking, he can tell us what we're doing wrong. We've basically wasted a week's worth of food only to be bitten to death by mosquitoes, almost be hunted by a caiman, and fragranced courtesy au de gorilla shit. This isn't working; we need to try something different! And if we get to help Edward _and _finish this assignment, then I'm all for it."

Bella had no idea where that speech had come from, but it sure sounded good on its way out. Maybe it would be enough to convince her father. She needed all the help she could get if they were basically going to experiment on Edward without any preparation.

Professor Swan thought about what she had said for a few minutes, slowly turning over the idea in his head. The issue wasn't whether they should help Edward; that was the easy part. Charlie's concern was what they'd do with the young man when their time in the Amazon was up. Bella was adamant that she was not going to hand him over to the authorities, but leaving Edward in the wild after he'd learned some fundamental things about his humanity would have served no purpose. There was no good solution. Charlie had never been able to deny his daughter before, but for the first time he actually was considering it.

He looked over Bella's shoulder and caught sight of Edward sitting on the ground holding up the notepad Aro had dropped there earlier. He was turning the pad over and over in his hands, smiling when the light breeze would flip the pages over.

_He's amused by a notepad. My goodness!_

It was in that moment that Charlie understood that his initial theory probably wasn't true. He had assumed Edward had become separated from his tribe, but now Charlie doubted the poor guy had ever spent time with other humans. He was barely a man by social standards; lacking key characteristics that people usually displayed. Edward moved and behaved almost entirely as an animal would. And though the scientist in Charlie was intrigued, it was the humanitarian in him that needed to reach out to the lad in any way he could.

Charlie ran his fingers over the thick mustache that lined his upper lip as he looked in every direction but at his daughter. He knew at that moment that she had gotten to him. With a playful huff, he spoke again.

"I guess running away from a caiman wasn't my crazy adventure for this trip after all. Okay, you have my support on this."

Bella crashed into her father, enveloping him in the tightest of embraces. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy! I promise we'll get work done and be able to help him as well. I'll handle language and you and Aro can work on helping him to walk upright. Maybe we can go into the nearest town and get books and supplies…"

Charlie stood in shock as his daughter moved around the camp area, rambling on, making preparations for the new assignment they'd taken on. The thought, 'What could possibly go wrong?' ran through his mind, making him that much more nervous.

Charlie knew his daughter well enough to know that everything that _could_ possibly go wrong, probably would.

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Patience was not Bella's strongest suit.

She'd once socked a kid for going too slowly in her third grade spelling bee. Needless to say, Bella had been disqualified (something about violence and children). But 'arithmetic' shouldn't have been that hard to spell. The kid needed to just spit it out already!

Unfortunately, Bella's patience hadn't improved since the third grade. The past few weeks had been intense to say the least — a true test of the little patience she had.

Teaching Edward was proving a lot harder than she'd thought it would be. He was able to pronounce the words she taught him with only moderate effort, so that wasn't the problem. Getting him to understand what they meant, was.

They'd gone over everything a preschooler would learn, beginning with the alphabet, learning to count, identifying shapes and colours and even a bit of word formation. But the process was as trying for Bella as it was for Edward.

There were overwhelming periods that resulted in him running off into the forest for hours, sometimes days, to escape the frustrations of the lessons. The longest he'd been away was two days...the longest two days of Bella's life, considering the worry and guilt she'd felt for pushing him too hard. But he always came back, ready and willing to continue, dismissing Bella's protests to take it easy.

She wondered what happened to him while he was away...why he always came back with such renewed determination. But she never thought to push such a subject when he was doing so well. Whatever happened clearly was enough to get him running in the other direction, and she wasn't certain he'd be able to express himself properly if she did ask him — not just yet.

Bella's head rested on her arms which were laid on the table-top; her face pointed in Edward's direction, looking on as he continued his work.

If one of the the great masters were to paint a portrait of a man in deep concentration, it would look as Edward did at that very moment. But even Da Vinci and Rembrandt wouldn't be able to capture just how perfectly the light caught in his hair, how beautifully his cheek bones arched, how chiseled his jaw was when clenched, the fullness of his lips or the depth of his eyes. It simply wasn't possible to do him justice.

This intense state of concentration signified only one thing: his need to learn.

Too exhausted to continue, Bella called it a day and left the men alone with Edward. She needed a bath and a good night's rest to relieve the day's stress that came with being his tutor.

She glanced over her shoulder briefly and smiled at Edward before disappearing towards her tent.

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Even after Bella left with the promise to continue tomorrow, Edward remained behind, staring at the words on the page and the letters on the mini chalkboard.

He had finally started understanding some, but others were simply too much at the moment.

For instance, the word "love."

The book Bella had been reading from was a novel she'd brought along with her. Not exactly suitable for new readers, but it was the only material they had, and Edward got to see word formation from the letters they'd practiced earlier on the chalkboard.

He could sound it out the way Bella taught him to — _L-Lo-ve_. But what did it mean?

Edward couldn't let this go. He'd been staring at the word for the past…how long? Since Bella had left that afternoon, and now it was beginning to turn dark. If he could find Bella and have her explain this to him, then he'd call it quits for the day since they were already losing daylight.

Edward got up and stretched his sore limbs. Sure, he had spent most of his days crawling through the forest, but that was nothing compared to sitting hunched over a desk for hours at a time.

Professor Swan sat at a table, taking notes by candlelight, while Aro sharpened his hunting blades near the camp fire, occasionally throwing glances in Edward's direction.

Edward crawled toward the tents and peeked inside each one, but Bella wasn't in either of them. She wasn't around the open living quarters, either. He hoped she wasn't careless enough to go off into the forest on her own.

Edward wandered toward the small watering hole that they had blocked off with a partition of sorts, hoping she was there.

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Exposed? No, that wasn't it.

Nude? Naked? Bare?

None of these words expressed how Bella felt at that moment. Edward had casually waltzed – well crawled, seeing as he didn't move fluidly on two feet and much preferred to be on all fours – into the bathing area looking for her. She had squealed in that girly, high pitched voice, first at the initial shock of being startled, and secondly, because this strange _man _was gawking at her during this extremely private moment.

Bella shouted over the partition, letting her father know that she was fine after he'd asked if everything was ok. She would not be able to survive the embarrassment if her dad and Aro walked in on her too!

An arm stretched out across her breasts, legs crossed and a palm cupped over her sex, this had to be the most mortifying moment of her life… and Edward wasn't even paying attention to her body. His eyes – the kind that would bring women and a few men to their knees – were so deep and intense with emotion; and that emotion wasn't lust. While she'd expected the hunger or desire that most men would convey, Edward's eyes only expressed confusion.

A few things about this particular situation confused Edward. He'd never seen another human up close prior to Bella and her team, so a naked female body didn't ignite any fire within him. It only sparked curiosity. He still had little understanding of many common social cues, so Bella's current state – embarrassment – was one of them. He tried to figure out why she was fidgeting and standing in this uncomfortable position. Was this another one of their 'human' lessons again? Should he mimic her movement just as he'd mimicked her words and Aro's walking earlier?

Edward advanced and stood on his legs, towering over Bella at his full height. He then crossed his arms and legs and squealed the same way she had just done, seconds prior.

With stunned, wide eyes, the only thing Bella could do at that moment was laugh. Leaning forward with arms braced on her knees, Bella forgot about her exposed state long enough to laugh harder than she had in years.

She couldn't believe this was happening. This was another story to add to her collection of weird, unforgettable moments.

A few minutes had passed when Bella's stomach began to hurt from all her laughing. When it finally died out, that's when she noticed the deep, masculine chuckle coming from beside her. Wait, beside her? Wasn't Edward just standing in front of her? Somehow, lost in her laughter - and his echo of it, seeing as he just mimicked her actions - they'd become entangled around each other. She immediately became aware of his arm draped across her shoulder, her hand around his waist while the other paused mid air from playfully slapping his chest.

_And what a toned, masculine chest it is. Living like an animal has definitely kept him in shape. With arms like that he could easily…_

_No, wait. He's not human. Well he is, but he isn't?_

_Whatever!_

Where were these thoughts coming from? She'd never looked at him that way before and definitely shouldn't be having any of these thoughts about Edward. She was supposed to be helping him, trying to give him his human bearings. She tried to gather her wits and then suddenly became aware of his proximity and her bare state once again.

His laughter had ceased soon after hers and he'd become all too aware of Bella's body language again.

He looked at her and repeated two single words, "Bel-la…scared?"

His intelligence, though restricted by his own limitations, still managed to utterly amaze her. She made a mental note to reward him for remembering the word 'scared' later on.

Yes, Bella had been trembling, which may have led Edward to believe she was scared. But that wasn't the case. Why was she shaking? Probably because of the late evening breeze that now blew against her still exposed body.

_Yes, that's it_, Bella tricked herself into concluding. For now, she would blame it on being chilled by the frigid air, because explaining to a gorilla-man that she was sexually aroused definitely had no place in their next lesson plan.

"No, I'm a kind of cold." She replied in a soft, cautious voice.

Edward seemed to understand her as she hugged herself and rubbed her arms.

Bella had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even considered how Edward felt or what he thought. That confused expression he wore moments before returned with relentless force. Eyebrows arched so high they almost disappeared into his hairline, eyes wide and searching — the look of a man in deep contemplation.

_At least, he looks like a man, because he certainly doesn't act like…wow!_

Her breast.

That definitely felt like something had touched her breast. A hand, was it? She looked down in time to see him now poking at her left breast with his index finger. She looked up and saw the confusion in his eyes, looking at her as if pleading for something.

But what was it? What was he asking?

He laid his hand on her chest, and the need to be touched by a man again was ablaze within her. Even an innocent touch like this one had sparked such fire in her. Maybe when she got back to the city, she could blow the dust off her Louboutins, go shopping for something small that left hardly anything to the imagination, and go find herself someone to touch way, deep down in her…

"Bel-la?"

_Huh?_

"Bel-la!" It was Edward who broke her out of her lusty train of thought; hand still on her chest as he repeated her name. Then, with his hand on his own chest, he repeated his given name, "Ed-ward!"

Then with his index finger, he pointed at her breast again.

Oh, now she understood! She'd taught him how to identify things by pointing at them, the same way she did their names. Bella touched her breast, still a bit self-conscious about being disrobed and said the word, "breast," which he repeated.

Edward then looked down at his own chest and frowned. How was she to explain this without overwhelming him any more than he probably already was?

"No, no Edward. Bella – wo-man, Edward – man. Women and men are the same, but different. Do you understand?"

Eyes still fixed on his face, she caught the exact moment realization dawned on him. His face softened and his brows relaxed. "Woman – breast. Man – no breast?" he inquired.

Lip caught between her teeth, Bella nodded in approval. If she was being honest with herself, the only thing that would escape her mouth after hearing him mutter the word 'breast' was a very primal moan. Or maybe a "_take me now_" or an "_I want you_", and those were less than appropriate.

"Bel-la?"

_Dammit! _Again Bella had gotten lost in her thoughts and returned at the call of her name. Landing safely back on earth from her place in the clouds, the only thing she could have done was slap a hand to her mouth. Edward, during Bella's dirty mind ramblings, had stripped himself bare of his cloths and was now pointing at his appendage. And what a rather large appendage it was.

_The things I could do with…_

"Bel-la?"

She needed to pay attention and stop the dirty thoughts.

Edward stood in question, still awaiting his answer and Bella was more than willing to give it to him.

The answer, that is. She was more than willing to give him the answer.

Not anything else. Because, that would be wrong. So wrong.

But oh, so right!

"Bel-la?"

"Penis!" She blurted out instantly, the color high on her cheeks as she said it. Edward reached out a hand and brushed his thumb lightly across her cheek bone with the same inquisitive look in his eye.

"Blush" she said in a quiet, sweet voice, answering the question he didn't have to voice out loud. She was becoming quite adept at reading him in that way, attuned to knowing what he wanted.

"Ed-ward like Bel-la blush," was his only reply.

Correction!

His hand on her face sparked a fire more intense than before when he touched her breast.

This gesture felt so intimate. Like he was appreciating her, worshiping her. She'd never experienced anything quite like that with any man before.

Who'd have thought it would take a voyage deep into the rainforest and some gorilla-man to make her feel this feminine?

Edward reluctantly dropped his hand, took a few steps back and stared unashamedly at Bella's body.

She couldn't believe this. He was giving her the once over. The head to toe look men usually gave when checking out a woman. But, was he seriously checking her out?

"Bella – no penis?" Edward inquired. "Man – penis, woman – no penis?"

Oh boy! So that's what the looks were about. At least he didn't try to poke her with his finger again. That would've been too much, even for her.

But what did women have? A stream of highly inappropriate euphemisms for vagina began playing on a loop in her mind. Pussy, kitty cat, cooch, honey pot, cunt, vajayjay, muff, fanny, the cave of wonders, hoo-ha!

Perhaps the clinical term would suffice in a situation such as this. Bella was certain her knees would buckle if he repeated something like "pussy."

"Umm, no. Women have vaginas."

Apparently the word was funny to say, judging by the amused smirk on Edward's face. He just began walking backward out of the bathing area while smiling at Bella, forgetting the initial reason he had gone looking for her.

This had to be the most awkward conversation of her life. Standing under the flowing water of the spring, completely naked, identifying body parts with a man who seemed to have zero ulterior motives.

Could he be...gay? A gay gorilla-man?

That's possible, right?

He had no interest in touching Bella sexually, at least not with any sort of personal gain or affection behind it. Which reminded her; God, she was so turned on!

Unfortunately, with her dad and Aro only a few hundred feet away, self-helping was out of the question. Maybe later when they were both asleep, she'd visualize those hypnotic green eyes and big strong arms and and get a quick rub session in.

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><p><strong>Eeeeep! So that happened! <strong>

**Let's play a game. What other word for Vagina do you guys use or have heard before? *snort* This should be interesting. **

**As usual, huge hugs & thank you's to Packeh and Twilly for pre-reading and to my beta Cullenboyz for all the hard work! These ladies are too awesome!  
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**What am I currently reading? EVERYTHING! lol Have a million fics on my TBR list right now. But I absolutely LOVE "Angel is a Centerfold" by LyricalKris and "A Life Unplanned" by Savannavansmutsmut.  
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**Tell me what you guys think of the story so far or just come say hi! :D See ya next time *waves like an idiot* **


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